Man pleads guilty in 2022 fatal crash

A Baltimore man pled guilty Thursday to charges related to a fatal vehicle crash on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

Samuel Sweeley, 33, of Baltimore, will face a maximum sentence of eight years in federal prison for involuntary manslaughter and a maximum of six months for driving under the influence.

On Sept. 4, 2022, at around 2:38 a.m., Sweeley was driving his Lexus SUV northbound on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, approaching the ramp to the inner loop of I-495/I-95, according to his plea agreement with the U.S. Attorneys’ Office, District of Maryland.

Sweeley got into the exit lane but started driving onto the shoulder — beyond the exit ramp — rather than exiting. While driving into the shoulder, he hit the back of an occupied Hyundai Elantra sedan, which was parked on the shoulder with its hazard lights on, according to Sweeley’s plea agreement.

The male driver was pronounced dead at the scene and the female passenger was taken to a hospital, according to Sweeley’s plea agreement. Initially, Sweeley consented to getting his blood drawn but later declined when he was escorted to the hospital by an officer.

As the officer spoke with Sweeley at the hospital, they noticed an odor of alcohol emanating from his breath while he slurred his speech and had red, bloodshot, watery eyes, the U.S. Attorneys’ Office said in a news release.

The officer administered a sobriety test and found Sweeley was under the influence of alcohol.

The United States Park

Police investigated the crash and they determined the primary causes were that Sweeley was going 15 mph over the speed limit and driving under the influence, as well as improperly using a parallel deceleration lane.

In addition to facing time in federal prison, Sweeley must pay restitution, which includes compensation for the loss and damages to the victim’s vehicle, the victims’ emergency medical, funeral and burial costs.

Sweeley’s sentencing will be 2:30 p.m. on June 18.

Sweeley’s attorney could not be immediately reached for comment.